A New Year Begins for Some of Us

Thanksgiving Day has passed. The Christmas Season - at least the secular version - now flexes its muscles. Some begin, or even complete, their decorations. We've not joined the rush to celebrate "the holidays." But, for some of us, even as New Year's Day sits over a full month in the future, a New Year will begin tomorrow. It's the 1st Sunday of Advent.

The 1st Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of what's known as the "Liturgical Year." We all get a fresh start. And we'd do well to take advantage of it. The Liturgy of the Catholic Church (and maybe some Protestant churches too? I don't know.) begins again with a building focus on the coming of the Messiah. More on that in a moment.

Yes, even with all the drama of the presidential election, the reported dangerous uptick in cases of COVID-19, even as the much-promoted "V-shaped" economic recovery now appears to have been more wish than real, a Advent will take center stage beginning tomorrow. If we give it the deference that should be its due, we will find ourselves steadily imbued with joy and peace that will culminate - and extend beyond - Christmas Day.

So much of this Year of Our Lord (yes, AD, not CE - an acronym I dislike and don't use) has been an unfolding drama. And, it seems to me, most of that drama hasn't brought much enjoyment or fulfillment. Beginning with the anxiety of the descent of COVID on our country, from its roots in China (yes, China), extending through the lock-downs that gutted our economy, continuing with the  - to put it mildly - bizarre election, resolved for some, not for others, we've been buffeted personally and, it's fair to say, as a nation. The buffeting hasn't yet eased, even as the decorations and lights of the "most wonderful time of the year" emerge.

So be it. There's not much any of can do to prevent or avoid it, if it continues. And that's where Advent steps into the picture.

If we give Advent primacy of place in our hearts and minds, we can take a break from the ongoing drama. We might even be blessed with a break from the usual soul-grinding effects of the world, the flesh, and the devil. If you've never taken Advent seriously, you won't know what it's all about. If you have, you know.

Advent prepares us. It prepares us for Christmas. But it's not the Christmas that's captured just in all those shiny lights, the blow-up Santas and Rudolphs, never mind those 24-hour "Holiday Music" stations that drone on and on and on. Advent points us to the real Christmas of the Creche.

It's the birth of Jesus Christ that's comin' soon, folks. And that's the reason you'll get that break from the drama of 2020, along with the constant pinpricks (and worse) of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. You'll be recalling, concentrating on the coming of the Messiah. (Yeah, it's the Messiah the Jewish prophets wrote about for centuries; only most Jews don't accept Christ as that Messiah.) The Messiah comes to save us. Save us from what?

Well, we're back to the our current drama, along with the world, the flesh, and the Devil. All of that stuff takes up too much space in our hearts, our minds, our souls. Our feelings bounce between highs and lows, we can't think right, and we can all too easily choose the bad over the good. We need saving from all that. 

Advent, observed each day, day after day, slowly reminds us about Jesus Christ, Who should always be situated smack dab in the center of our lives. But maybe He's been shunted aside too often during the year. and you've more or less either forgotten about Him or just occasionally given him a grudging nod and some lip service on Sunday. If you think of just Who is this Person we call Jesus Christ, you know that's all our of whack. Advent helps us put things back in order.

Now, you might not switch off the out-of-whack the first day of Advent, nor the second, nor the third. But if you keep at it, you may find a deep feeling of peace start to push out all the nonsense and the bad stuff. OK, maybe not. Maybe not so deep. Maybe your life won't switch from chaos to order, from gnawing anxiety to calm, from obsession with the lures of material success, whether tinsel or gold. But if you even take a few swings to get your earth-bound ball out of that sand trap during Advent - really give it a sincere shot - you'll get yourself on a road that eventually leads to Heaven.

Whew! Talk about drama. But that's the sort of drama that has a happy ending. Not like all the stuff that's buffeting us these days - or maybe most days of our lives.

It's worth a shot. So get with it. Advent matters. Let it matter for you. 

There are so many ways to do that, we don't have time or space to get into it all now. But here's simple prayer I like. I work into my daily prayers during Advent. And, when I can, I sprinkle it throughout the day from now until Christmas. If you're not in the habit of praying regularly, this may be an easy (albeit it temporary) fix to get you started:

Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts!